Awards

• Winner of Editors' Choice 2001 Reference 2002
• Winner of Editors' Choice 2001 Reference 2002 (United States)

Overview

An extensive and fascinating collection of stories featuring both famous and everyday women, giving a well-rounded view of the lives of women in the ancient world. When did women first become rulers, athletes, soldiers, heroines, and villains? They always were, observes historian Judith Salisbury. From Mesopotamian priestesses and poets to Egyptian queens and consorts, ""there was never a time when women did not participate in all aspects of society."" Salisbury tells the stories of 150 women from the ancient world, ranging from the very famous, such as Cleopatra VII, immortalized by Hollywood, to the barely remembered, such as the Roman poet Nossis. Writing for a general audience, Salisbury begins by painting each woman into her historical context, then recounts each woman's story, describing the choices she made as she looked for happiness, wealth, power, or well-being for herself and her family—stories much like our own. In entries on general themes—clothing, cosmetics, work, sexuality, prostitution, gynecology—Salisbury analyzes the commonalties in the lives of these women of antiquity from a cross-cultural perspective.

Full Product Details

9781576070925

Table of Contents

Reviews

What a wonderful book. It has a fantastic pedigree with Salisbury teaching at the University of Winsconsin-Green Bay and editors of the calibre of Gardner, Hallett, Kramer, Lefkowitz and Tyldesley; therefore one would expect a book of some authority and scholarship. The clever thing with this encyclopedia is that the cover suggests accessibility and a gentle read, and indeed you do get that. What you also get is a book of tremendous breadth and diversity. The text is meticulously indexed. It has an alphabetical contents and entries by category according to geographical and historical context. The foreword is enticing and the preface is extremely helpful in explaining how the book works and how to best use it. The entries give the woman's name, role, a list of linked references, and suggested further reading. There are entries for subjects related to women: work, abortion, gynaecology and so on. There are genealogical charts for the curious and maps to help place where these women lived and breathed. And live and breathe they do! Salisbury includes both real women and mythological figures - as well as those who can almost be thought of as both. What I particularly like is how highly readable the entries are. There are also numerous illustrations to illuminate the text further. Don't just put this book in the 16 to 19 section: a good reader from 11 would enjoy it too. It links to classics, women's studies, history, general studies, ancient civilisations, anthropology. Put it where lots of hands will pick it up and make the investment worth-while. The School Librarian, Spring 2002

"""Encyclopedia of Women in the Ancient World is very highly recommended as a core addition to any academic world history or women's studies reference collection."" - Wisconsin Bookwatch ""This volume should be helpful to high school students, undergraduates, and general readers."" - Booklist ""Excellent maps, geneaological charts, and indexing make the work easy to use, while the prose style entices readers to delve into the content."" - Choice ""[N]one can match the breadth and depth of coverage ... No other work covers the general articles as well."" - Association of College and Research Libraries ""What a wonderful book... The clever thing with this encyclopedia is that the cover suggests accessibility and a gentle read, and indeed you do get that. The text is meticulously indexed ... The foreword is enticing and the preface is extremely helpful."" - The School Librarian ""An interested general reader can drive a lot of pleasure from dipping into the Encyclopedia. The ancient accounts themselves take center stage; scholarly interpretations are deftly handled. Salisbury does not bog down the reader with multiple interepretations or a catalog of academic disputes."" - Feminist Collections"

Author Information

Joyce Salisbury is Frankenthal professor of history at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, WI.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available